A 'DANGEROUS' offender who broke into his ex-girlfriend's house and burned it to the ground has been jailed.

Phillip Evans used a crowbar to force his way into Emma Paul's home in The Avenue, West Moors on January 9 while she was out shopping. He doused the interior with flammable solvent acetone and then set fire to the building.

A court heard the 55-year-old planned to commit suicide, but jumped from a first floor window when the heat became too intense.

Miss Paul, 42, lost all of her possessions in the inferno. Her home was destroyed and had to be demolished.

On Wednesday, Evans was sentenced to a total of six years and four months in prison after admitting arson with intent or reckless as to whether life was endangered, as well as a second charge of breaching a restraining order.

Evans, of Ringwood Road, Three Legged Cross, was also ordered to serve an extended licence period of three years once released from prison after a judge ruled he poses a danger to the public.

The court heard that the defendant broke in through the front door of Miss Paul's home with a crowbar after driving past in his works van. He then wedged the tool over the door so no one could come in, took a quantity of paracetamol and tramadol and started the fire.

A neighbour heard a loud bang from Miss Paul's home just before 1pm. He saw Evans' van parked outside the address and smoke pouring from the top of the house.

As he called the fire service, he spotted Evans in the first floor bedroom window and called at him to get out.

The defendant climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground, where a passer-by escorted him away from the burning house.

A second man, a friend of Miss Paul's, was driving nearby at the time and saw the fire. Police say he risked his own safety to check the victim was not inside the house.

Evans was rushed to hospital suffering with smoke inhalation.

Officers later discovered two five-litre plastic petrol cans and another crowbar in the back of Evan's van.

Detective Constable Tom Alsford, of Bournemouth CID, said: “Evans’ actions that day were extremely dangerous and reckless. "Not only did he cause irreparable damage to the victim’s home and belongings, he also risked the lives of nearby residents and other people who bravely got close to the fire to rescue him and check no one else was inside.

“I would like to pay tribute to those individuals who displayed exceptional bravery that day and to the fire service for responding so quickly and preventing the fire from spreading even further.

“I hope the sentence of the court will bring some sense of closure to the victim after what has been a very traumatic ordeal.”